Implanted penile prostheses have offered men suffering from erectile dysfunction with an erection that is suitable for penetrative intercourse. While the implantation procedure for a penile prosthesis has become highly refined over the course of years, there is the possibility of improving the patient comfort and for further refining the procedure.
In one approach to the implantation of the penile prostheses, each corpora cavernosum is dilated (opened) with an appropriate dilation tool to form a recess that is sized to receive one prosthesis of the two cylinders of the penile prostheses. Thereafter, a tool (referred to by surgical practitioners as a “Furlow” introducer) is inserted into each dilated corpora cavernosum to measure a length of the penis distally and proximally to determine a desired length of the cylinders to be implanted. A cylinder of the appropriately selected length is secured to a suture, and the suture is secured to a needle (sometimes called a “Keith” needle). The Keith needle is attached to the Furlow introducer. The surgeon inserts the Furlow introducer into the dilated corpora cavernosum and pushes the Keith needle from of the introducer, through tissue of the penis, and out the glans penis. The exposed portion of the needle is handled by the surgeon, removed from the suture, and discarded. The remaining suture is subsequently employed to tow the cylinder into place inside of the dilated corpora cavernosum.
Patients and surgeons would welcome an alternative procedure that does not include puncturing of the glans penis.